Coronado Metropolitan Redevelopment Area

Project Information

About The Project

The City of Albuquerque through its Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency (MRA) is interested in designating a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MR Area) and adopting a Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan (MR Plan) for the property at 9201 Pan American Freeway NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113. This approximately 50-acre parcel contains the former Philips Semiconductor plant. The map to the right indicates the boundary of the proposed MRA. In addition to the property itself, the MRA would also designate the public rights-of-way immediately adjacent to the property that are maintained by the City of Albuquerque. The creation of an MR Area and the adoption of an MR Plan would allow the MRA to potentially invest in the area through incentives for private development, removing barriers to private investment, providing public investment in infrastructure and developing public-private partnerships for anchor projects.

If the boundary is approved, the City Council must then adopt an MR Plan describing steps the MRA will take to improve conditions in the area. Upon approval of the MR Plan, implementation can follow through Metropolitan Redevelopment Projects (MR Projects), which are activities designed to rejuvenate or revitalize the MR Area. Creation and adoption of an MR plan will be a separate effort with community meetings and public input opportunities.

The Metropolitan Redevelopment Code

The MRA is governed by the State’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Code, Section 3-60A-1 thru 3-60A-48 (MR Code). The MR Code has specific guidelines that must be followed in order for properties to be eligible for publicly funded improvements. First, the Albuquerque City Council must create an MR Area by deeming the area to have certain “slummed” or “blighted” features as defined by the MR Code. The MR Code defines these terms broadly, and features can include, but are not limited to:

A substantial number of deteriorating structures;

Faulty street or lot layout;

Deterioration of site or other improvements;

Diversity of ownership;

Lack of adequate zoning enforcement;

Low levels of commercial activity and redevelopment;

Obsolete and impractical zoning and platting; and/or,

Improper subdivision.

The designation of an MR Area does not grant local governments the power of eminent domain for the acquisition of private property for economic redevelopment. Additionally, this designation does not affect regulations that are set by zoning such as adding or subtracting permissive or conditional land uses. It is purely a non-regulatory designation that will allow for future public investment.